Here is the ‘stuff’ that everyone needs to get done, I don’t make exceptions, I treat you all the same (read: fairly), I don’t grade on how fun you are, or how much I like you, my grade for this is completely objective.

1. 1st day report.
(I will email out the request, here are the instructions:
I know that some of you have already started, what I am looking for is a short answer as to your first impressions of your job, the workplace, supervisor, etc. Please don’t send ‘good’. A paragraph will do, longer if you wish.)

2. Mid-term reports.
(I will email these out to you when they are due, here are the instructions:
Subject: Name of Your Company or Co-op Type
First Paragraph: Where you are working and your job title. Also note whether this is your first, second, or third co-op. State your job duties and general day to day activities associated with the job.
Second Paragraph: Describe how it’s going, i.e. the highlights, the lowlights, do you like it, what you are learning, how it has met your co-op goals/expectations, how it connects to your academic studies, what it has provided you in terms of career development, etc. Let us know if you would recommend this co-op to others – why or why not.
Third Paragraph: Share a challenge and/or a success from your co-op experience. These could be things at your company or related issues, like housing, transportation, money, being away from school, etc. Share a situation that you were unsure about or felt that you didn’t exactly know how to go about – how are you/have you been dealing with this? How did you problem solve to effect a solution? Also, many of you are co-oping outside of Boston. How is that going – what are the added complications, expected or unexpected, that you’ve had to sort out? Has this been a challenge or a success for you? In what ways is your co-op providing new growth and development through these challenges and successes, please reflect and comment on this)

3. Evaluations:
a. You must confirm your supervisor;
(these emails originate out a central coop office, I track them and will send emails to remind you to fill them out)
b. Your supervisor must confirm they are indeed your supervisor;
(ditto above, it is up to you to make sure they get done, you should let your supervisor know to watch for this email)
c. The online student evaluation of your experience;
d. The online employer evaluation of your performance.

4. Reflection seminars when you return:
(I will set up a series of group meetings, you pick one to attend. They are 1-2 hours each. In them we go over your experience, and lay out the ground rules for what comes next)

You can ask any questions, but this has been my policy all along.

What’s Richard Reading?

3/3/2015: The Last Kings of Sark - Rosa Rankin-Gee

A story about life, love and loss revolving around three characters. It was okay. First half dedicated to a summer on the island of Sark; where they all meet (interesting in that it did teach you a bit about the place). Then the second half follows them as they age, and their interactions. Poignant, melancholy, and sometimes frustrating look at how people generally are their own worst enemies.